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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Confused by myself!

38 replies

confusedandcrazymother · 03/02/2019 08:12

Anna.

I remember when I was younger, I never cared for this name at all. It was a nothing name, a dated name, an old lady name.

I remember coming across a woman who had named her daughter Anna, and I felt sorry for the little one. Why would her mother give her such an old boring name?

Fast forward about 4 years, and now I think I love the name.
It’s simple, timeless, classic, elegant, travels well.

But is it boring? I’m confused by my own thoughts! I know Annabelle has taken off... but not sure about Anna.

Thanks

OP posts:
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Variousartists · 03/02/2019 08:13

Lovely and not many about.

SoyDora · 03/02/2019 08:14

I really like it.

Original poster
confusedandcrazymother · 03/02/2019 08:15

What thoughts does the name conjure up for you?

A middle aged lady with a cup of tea?
A posh girl in a private school?
Or a try hard mother trying to sound posh?
A child lumped with a boring unimaginative name?

OP posts:
SoyDora · 03/02/2019 08:16

None of those really! As you said, it’s simple and elegant. I don’t think it’s a ‘posh’ name, or try hard, or unimaginative, or middle aged.

implantsandaDyson · 03/02/2019 08:18

I have one Grin. I obviously think it's a lovely name, it is popular where I am, there would be 3 in my 7 year olds school year.

CoatTails · 03/02/2019 08:21

Susanna
Johanna
Annabelle
Anneliese
Rosanna
Marianna

But Anna is beautiful too!

flumpybear · 03/02/2019 08:22

Sorry but think it's nice but It's a little boring, I had a friend at school called Anna .... it turned out after a while if knowing her that her full name was Anastasia ... which I thought was much brighter

RickOShay · 03/02/2019 08:22

Anna is lovely. I don’t see it as dated at all. I would like to be called Anna.

costacoffeecup · 03/02/2019 08:23

I have an Anna. I didn't like it at all before I had her and had vetoed it - I wanted Anne or Alice - but for some reason it felt right and now I absolutely love it. It's classic but also not everywhere. I really love names like Isobel, Sophia etc but there are too many of them and I think a name is much less beautiful if there are four in a class the same.

costacoffeecup · 03/02/2019 08:24

Oh and I really dislike Annabelle!

3in4years · 03/02/2019 13:18

Anna makes me think of no nonsense. A little girl who is strong and beautiful and takes no shit! And possibly can speak more than one language. Or is Spanish or Irish.

3in4years · 03/02/2019 13:18

Where as Annabelle makes me think of a cabbage patch doll.

daisypond · 03/02/2019 13:43

I love Anna. It's simple, timeless and elegant. I much prefer it to Annabel/Annabelle and I don't think it's boring.

Sophronia · 03/02/2019 13:50

Love it. I don’t think it’s dated, it’s timeless.

ClashCityRocker · 03/02/2019 13:59

It's not a name I'd chose as it's not my personal taste, but it's certainly not a name I'd raise an internal eyebrow at.

I think our views of names do change as we grow up. (Thank god in most cases... I know when I was in my teens my first child was going to be called Chance....one of my friend's first born has an equally out-there name... Latter children conceived a decade plus later are James and Sarah....)

MikeUniformMike · 03/02/2019 15:10

I really like Anna. Annabel is ok but not Annabelle.
I like Anna because it is pretty, not likely to be shortened, not likely to suggest anything about the person (ok, I mean it's not pretentious or chav) etc.

TatianaLarina · 03/02/2019 15:38

I think it’s deeply boring, you were right the first time.

Not particularly posh as you seem to imply.

Fifthtimelucky · 03/02/2019 15:57

I like the name and I know 4 of them. 3 sets of parents chose the name because it worked well in different languages and cultures. In one case, both parents were English but they were living in Italy at the time. In the other 2 cases, one parent was English but the other wasn't.

shaggedthruahedgebackwards · 03/02/2019 16:04

I neither like or dislike it but view it as inoffensive if a little boring

It doesn't conjure up any particular type of person for me, nor would I class it as particularly dated or posh

I much prefer Annie personally

HalfBloodPrincess · 03/02/2019 16:23

My nieces name. We call her Anna Banana and she loves it (she’s only 3)

Will grow with her from baby to grandma without sounding silly

MollyHuaCha · 03/02/2019 17:51

Lovely name.

Laurasimone · 03/02/2019 19:02

Beautiful name. Simple but still lovely.
Personally prefer it to the longer alternatives of Annabelle etc.

DramaAlpaca · 03/02/2019 19:06

Anna is as you say - simple, timeless, elegant, classic, international. I love it. It's so much nicer than Annabelle which is overly frilly.

Parthenope · 03/02/2019 19:12

Anna is plain in the best way. Annabelle is to me a horrible, prissy, podgy kind of a name, more suited to a baby doll than a woman. I know two, and one goes as Anna and one as Ann.

SallyWD · 03/02/2019 21:00

I love it. Simple, elegant. Pretty but not at all fussy. One of my favourite names

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